NYC Comptroller Brad Lander Detained by ICE Agents at Immigration Court

Mr. Lander, New York City’s comptroller and a mayoral candidate, was handcuffed while attempting to escort a man away from Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.

Brad Lander, NYC Comptroller and Mayoral Candidate, Arrested by ICE Agents While Assisting Migrant

Brad Lander, New York City comptroller and a declared candidate for mayor, was arrested on Tuesday by federal agents at the city’s immigration courthouse in Lower Manhattan. The arrest occurred as Lander attempted to escort a migrant out of the building in an effort to prevent his detention by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Lander, a Democrat, had been observing proceedings at 26 Federal Plaza, the city’s main immigration courthouse. In recent weeks, the location has seen a notable uptick in ICE arrests of migrants appearing for court.

Footage captured by reporters shows Lander standing beside a migrant in a crowded hallway when several masked men, believed to be law enforcement officers, approached the pair—seemingly to apprehend the migrant.

In video shared by a journalist from The City, a local digital news outlet, Lander is seen repeatedly questioning the agents about whether they possess a judicial warrant. He then follows them closely as they move in on the migrant.

Mr. Lander is seen holding onto the migrant as federal agents begin guiding the man toward the elevators. “I will let go when you show me the judicial warrant,” he says, keeping his right hand on the man's shoulder.

The agents attempt to pull Lander away, and eventually succeed in separating him from the migrant. They then push him against a wall near the elevators and handcuff him.

“You don’t have the authority to arrest U.S. citizens,” Lander says repeatedly in the video. “I’m not obstructing. I’m standing right here in the hallway. I asked to see the judicial warrant.”

According to immigration attorneys, agents are not required to present judicial warrants inside immigration courts, which are considered public spaces.

Dora Pekec, a spokesperson for Mr. Lander, stated that he “was taken by masked agents and detained by ICE.”

"This is still evolving, and we are keeping a careful eye on the issue," she continued.

Mr. Lander was being kept on the 10th floor of 26 Federal Plaza, which is the usual detention facility for migrants arrested by ICE, according to Chloe Chik, a spokesman for the comptroller's office.

A request for comment was not immediately answered by ICE's parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security.

One week prior to the Democratic primary for mayor, the arrest took place. In a crowded field, Mr. Lander has been vying for support against the front-runner, former Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, who has led almost all surveys. Both Mr. Lander and Zohran Mamdani, a state assemblyman who is second to Mr. Cuomo, have cross-endorsed one another.

For a significant amount of his campaign, Mr. Lander, a member of his party's left wing, has maintained that he is the candidate most qualified to oppose President Trump's plans to reduce funding and deport immigrants from New York City.

He has frequently advocated for upholding the city's sanctuary laws, which restrict collaboration between local and federal law enforcement on immigration enforcement. Additionally, he has advocated for more public financing to give unrepresented immigrants facing deportation legal assistance.

Mr. Lander made his third appearance before the city's immigration courts on Tuesday. As the agency increases the number of migrants arrested for attending regular court appearances, ICE officials, usually donning masks, have been a common sight there.

In a legal move that allows ICE agents to arrest migrants in the hallways after they leave and place them in expedited deportation proceedings without hearings, prosecutors with the Department of Homeland Security have surprised several migrants by dismissing their cases when they appear in court.

In recent weeks, a number of Democratic lawmakers, including members of Congress, have demonstrated against the Trump administration's new strategies at immigration courthouses.

In his past appearances, Mr. Lander sat calmly during hearings before escorting a few families who appeared to be in danger of being arrested out of the courthouse and to a nearby subway station. His arrest on Tuesday was his first run-in with federal officials who guard the elevators, lobbies, and halls of the courthouse.

His wife, Meg Barnette, shared a video of the incident from Mr. Lander's official campaign account on social media, suggesting that his campaign moved swiftly to take advantage of his detention.

Mr. Cuomo denounced the arrest as well.

He posted on social media, saying, "This is the latest example of the sheer thuggery of Trump's ICE out of control - one can only image the anxiety families across our country feel when confronted with ICE."